Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| vesicle-associated protein 1: a novel ovarian immunocontraceptive target in the common brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | ovarian-based immunological research is currently restricted to proteins of the zona pellucida. this study examined the immunocontraceptive potential of a novel vesicle-associated protein, vap1, previously isolated from the vesicle-rich hemisphere of the brushtail possum oocyte. seven female possums were immunized against recombinant glutathione s-transferase-vap1 fusion protein. control animals (n=3) received antigen-free vaccinations. following immunization, regular blood sampling determined t ... | 2008 | 18713812 |
| allometry of evaporative water loss in marsupials: implications of the effect of ambient relative humidity on the physiology of brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). | to better understand the effects of ambient relative humidity (rh) on physiological variables and the implications of rh-correcting evaporative water loss (ewl) data for marsupials, we examined the effect of rh on ewl, body temperature (tb), metabolic rate (mr) and thermal conductance (c) of the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula), a medium-sized marsupial. correcting ewl data for 27 species of marsupial for water vapour pressure deficit (deltawvp) in the chamber during measurement signific ... | 2008 | 18723532 |
| high variability in the mhc class ii da beta chain of the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | the diversity of class ii major histocompatibility complex (mhc) loci was investigated in the brushtail possum, an important marsupial pest species in new zealand. immunocontraception, a form of fertility control that generates an autoimmune response, is being developed as a population control method for the possum. because the immune response is partly under genetic control, an understanding of immunogenetics in possum will be crucial to the development of immunocontraceptive vaccines. mhc mole ... | 2008 | 18758765 |
| gene expression and secretion of lh and fsh in relation to gene expression of gnrh receptors in the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) demonstrates highly conserved mechanisms. | in eutherian mammals, the gonadotrophins (lh and fsh) are synthesized and stored in gonadotroph cells under the regulation of multiple mechanisms including gnrh. very little is known about the regulation of gonadotrophin secretion and storage in pituitary glands of marsupials. this study revealed, using quantitative pcr and heterologous ria techniques, that lhb mrna expression levels remained constant over the oestrous cycle, regardless of the presence of a preovulatory lh surge, which is charac ... | 2009 | 18818271 |
| transmission of kala-azar to the australian marsupials trichosurus vulpecula and pseudocheirus laniginosus. | 1948 | 18865443 | |
| experimental transmission of tuberculosis to trichosurus vulpecula. | 1948 | 18875253 | |
| bacterial ghosts as a delivery system for zona pellucida-2 fertility control vaccines for brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). | the introduced brushtail possum is a serious pest in new zealand and there is much interest in the development of an immunocontraceptive vaccine for population control. immunisation of female possums against recombinant possum zona pellucida protein-2 (zp2) is known to reduce embryo production by 72-75% but successful development of fertility control will depend on a delivery system that is effective for field use. bacterial ghost vaccine technology is a promising system to formulate a non-livin ... | 2008 | 18948157 |
| protection of free-living and captive possums against pulmonary challenge with mycobacterium bovis following oral bcg vaccination. | in new zealand, possums (trichosurus vulpecula) are the main wildlife reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (tb), which they transmit to livestock. this study investigated oral vaccination with lipid-formulated mycobacterium bovis bcg and subsequent protection against virulent m. bovis challenge in wild-caught possums. possums were trapped from the field and either hand-vaccinated and released back into the wild, or acclimatised to captive conditions prior to voluntary uptake of flavoured vaccine. p ... | 2009 | 19136301 |
| a redescription of trichosurolaelaps dixous domrow, 1972 (acari: laelapidae), from trichosurus cunninghami (marsupialia: phalangeridae) from southern australia. | the adults of trichosurolaelaps dixous domrow, 1972 are redescribed from a population of trichosurus cunninghami lindenmayer, dubach et viggers, 2002 in south-eastern australia. the nymphal stages are described for the first time. morphologically, t. dixous is similar to trichosurolaelaps crassipes womersley, 1956. morphological differences between the prefemale deutonymphs and adult females of the two mite species are the presence of a single large ventral spur on tibia i of t. dixous. males of ... | 2008 | 19175208 |
| immunocontraception of eastern grey kangaroos (macropus giganteus) with recombinant brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) zp3 protein. | this study examined the potential of a recombinant marsupial zona pellucida 3 protein as a contraceptive vaccine for the eastern grey kangaroo, a marsupial that is locally overabundant in several regions of eastern australia. first, a pilot study using porcine zona pellucidae (pzp) demonstrated that zp proteins, primarily the zp3 component of pzp, are highly immunogenic in the grey kangaroo and produce a long-lasting humoral response to a single immunisation, as found in other marsupials. immuni ... | 2009 | 19215986 |
| the effects of plant defensive chemistry on nutrient availability predict reproductive success in a mammal. | plants contain a variety of chemical defenses that strongly affect feeding rates in captive mammals, but their effects on the fitness of wild herbivores are largely unknown. this is because the complexity of defensive compounds, and herbivores' counteradaptations to them, make their effects in the wild difficult to measure. we show how tannins interact with protein to produce spatial variation in the nutritional quality of eucalypt foliage, which is related to demography in a wild population of ... | 2009 | 19341141 |
| uterine expression of cp4 gene homolog in the stripe-faced dunnart, sminthopsis macroura: relationship with conceptus development and progesterone profile. | the marsupial conceptus is surrounded by a uterine-secreted shell coat for 60-80% of gestation. coat protein 4 (cp4) is the only marsupial shell coat protein characterized and it has only been identified in one species, the common brushtail possum. in this possum, uterine transcription and secretion of cp4 during the oestrous cycle is biphasic and associated with the stage of conceptus development. here we cloned cp4 (sm-cp4) from a distantly related species, the stripe-faced dunnart (sminthopsi ... | 2009 | 19455663 |
| oral vaccination reduces the incidence of tuberculosis in free-living brushtail possums. | bovine tuberculosis (tb) caused by mycobacterium bovis has proved refractory to eradication from domestic livestock in countries with wildlife disease reservoirs. vaccination of wild hosts offers a way of controlling tb in livestock without wildlife culling. this study was conducted in a tb-endemic region of new zealand, where the introduced australian brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) is the main wildlife reservoir of tb. possums were trapped and vaccinated using a prototype oral-deliver ... | 2009 | 19493904 |
| electrogenic cl(-) secretion does not occur in the ileum of the australian common brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula, due to low levels of expression of the nak2cl cotransporter, nkcc1. | the colon of the brushtail possum does not have an electrogenic secretory response. given the functional significance of electrogenic cl(-) secretion in the intestine of eutherian mammals, we have investigated the secretory response in the small intestine of this marsupial. in the ussing chamber camp-dependent secretagogues stimulated a sustained increase in ileal short-circuit current (isc), whereas ca(2+)-dependent secretagogues induced a transient increase. both the responses were inhibited b ... | 2009 | 19565248 |
| inter-population differences in the tolerance of a marsupial folivore to plant secondary metabolites. | plant secondary metabolites (psms) strongly influence diet selection by mammalian herbivores. concentrations of psms vary within and among plant species, and across landscapes. therefore, local adaptations may cause different populations of herbivores to differ in their ability to tolerate psms. here, we tested the food intake responses of three populations of a marsupial folivore, the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula kerr), from different latitudes and habitat types, to four types ... | 2009 | 19585152 |
| lipid-formulated bcg as an oral-bait vaccine for tuberculosis: vaccine stability, efficacy, and palatability to brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) in new zealand. | bovine tuberculosis (tb), due to infection with virulent mycobacterium bovis, represents a threat to new zealand agriculture due to vectorial transmission from wildlife reservoir species, principally the introduced australian brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). an oral-delivery wildlife vaccine has been developed to immunize possums against tb, based on formulation of the human tb vaccine (m. bovis bcg) in edible lipid matrices. here bcg bacilli were shown to be stable in lipid matrix form ... | 2009 | 19617486 |
| secretagogues stimulate electrogenic hco3- secretion in the ileum of the brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula: evidence for the role of a na+/hco3- cotransporter. | fluid secretion is essential for intestinal function and, in eutherian mammals, is driven by electrogenic cl(-) transport, which is dependent upon a bumetanide-sensitive, basolateral na(+)/k(+)/2 cl(-) cotransporter, nkcc1. however, ileal secretion in the brushtail possum, a marsupial, involves a fundamentally different process, since nkcc1 expression is low in this tissue and the secretagogue-induced short circuit current (i(sc)) is insensitive to bumetanide. in view of these differences we hav ... | 2009 | 19648410 |
| isolation of mycobacterium bovis from brushtail possums with non-visible lesions. | to determine the prevalence of mycobacterium bovis infection in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) that did not have macroscopic lesions of bovine tuberculosis, and to evaluate culture of pooled tissues from multiple possums as a method for determining the m. bovis-infection status of wildlife populations in new zealand. | 2009 | 19649016 |
| acid loads induced by the detoxification of plant secondary metabolites do not limit feeding by common brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). | we fed common brushtail possums artificial diets containing a buffer and the plant secondary metabolite (psm), orcinol, to test the hypothesis that organic acids, common products of psm metabolism, limit feeding by common brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). we introduced several diets containing orcinol and a buffer (urinary alkalising agent) over a course of three experiments. a diet containing 2% orcinol (wet matter) caused possums to reduce their food intake immediately, but feeding re ... | 2010 | 19727760 |
| abdominal muscle and epipubic bone function during locomotion in australian possums: insights to basal mammalian conditions and eutherian-like tendencies in trichosurus. | mammals have four hypaxial muscle layers that wrap around the abdomen between the pelvis, ribcage, and spine. however, the marsupials have epipubic bones extending anteriorly into the ventral hypaxial layers with two additional muscles extending to the ventral midline and femur. comparisons of south american marsupials to basal eutherians have shown that all of the abdominal hypaxials are active bilaterally in resting ventilation. however, during locomotion marsupials employ an asymmetrical patt ... | 2010 | 19862837 |
| polymeric nanoparticles as an oral delivery system for biocontrol agents for the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | to investigate polymeric nanoparticles as an oral delivery system for protein biocontrol agents for control of the brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | 2009 | 19966898 |
| identification and evaluation of an infertility-associated zp3 epitope from the marsupial brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | immunologically based fertility control vaccines against zona pellucida (zp) proteins are being developed in new zealand for biocontrol of the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula), an introduced australian marsupial pest. we have shown that immunization of female possums with recombinant possum zp3 protein (rzp3) reduced fertility by 79%. to enhance the specificity of possum immunocontraceptive vaccines, b-cell epitopes on possum zp3 protein were mapped using sera of female possums immunized ... | 2010 | 19969120 |
| molecular and functional characterization of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator from the australian common brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | unlike eutherian mammals, the colon of the australian common brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula, a metatherian mammal, is incapable of electrogenic cl(-) secretion and has elevated levels of electrogenic na(+) absorption, while the ileum secretes hco (3) (-) rather than cl(-). in eutherian mammals, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) is essential for both cl(-) and hco (3) (-) secretion and the regulation of na(+) absorption. therefore, we have sequenced possum (p ... | 2010 | 20012660 |
| a marsupial, trichosurus vulpecula, ddx4/vasagene (tvddx4) of the dead box protein family: molecular conservation and germline expression. | the ddx4/vasa gene plays an important role in germ cell development in animals. we cloned and characterized a marsupial ddx4/vasa homolog (tvddx4, 2,769 bps) from the possum and examined its expression in adult tissues at mrna and protein levels. the isolated cdna had a deduced 704 amino acid residues with significant homology to ddx4 from other animals, including mouse (86%) and human (87%). the ddx4 transcript was detected in the ovary and testis, and was undetectable in somatic tissues. the r ... | 2009 | 20016130 |
| a serological survey of the prevalence of antibodies against enteroviruses in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) in new zealand: enteroviruses have a limited distribution in brushtail possums. | to establish an immunoassay to detect antibodies against enteroviruses in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula), and to determine the prevalence of seropositive samples of antibodies to enteroviruses in wild possums in new zealand. | 2010 | 20200572 |
| late effects of castration and aministration of sex hormones on the male trichosurus vulpecula. | 1947 | 20292728 | |
| humoral immune responses in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) induced by bacterial ghosts expressing possum zona pellucida 3 protein. | the introduced common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) is a major pest in new zealand and immunocontraceptive vaccines are being developed for biocontrol of possum populations, with bacterial ghosts (bgs) being evaluated as a means of oral delivery. recombinant bgs expressing possum zona pellucida 3 protein (zp3) as an l' membrane-anchored protein (zp3-l') or as an s-layer sbsa-fusion protein (mbp-sbsa-zp3) were produced by the expression of the cloned bacteriophage phix174 lysis gene e ... | 2010 | 20434548 |
| proteomic analysis of whey and casein proteins in early milk from the marsupial trichosurus vulpecula, the common brushtail possum. | whey and casein proteins representing the first and second halves of the early lactation phase in the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) have been compared by two dimensional gel electrophoresis. nine components of whey were differentially expressed during early lactation, including proteins identified as cathepsin b, clusterin, late lactation protein, lysozyme, ganglioside m2 activator and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. a major novel protein, termed very early lactatio ... | 2007 | 20483284 |
| the role of igfs in the regulation of ovarian follicular growth in the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | igfs are known to be key regulators of ovarian follicular growth in eutherian mammals, but little is known regarding their role in marsupials. to better understand the potential role of igfs in the regulation of follicular growth in marsupials, expression of mrnas encoding igf1, igf2, igf1r, igf-binding protein 2 (igfbp2), igfbp4 and igfbp5 was localized by in situ hybridization in developing ovarian follicles of the brushtail possum. in addition, the effects of igf1 and igf2 on granulosa cell f ... | 2010 | 20522481 |
| integrating the costs of plant toxins and predation risk in foraging decisions of a mammalian herbivore. | foraging herbivores must satisfy their nutrient requirements in a world of toxic plants while also avoiding predators. plant toxins and perceived predation risk at food patches should both reduce patch residency time, but the relative strengths of these factors on feeding decisions has rarely been quantified. using an arboreal generalist herbivore, the common brushtail possum trichosurus vulpecula, we tested the effects on food intake of the plant toxin, cineole, and regurgitated pellets from on ... | 2010 | 20652597 |
| a major role for mammals in the ecology of mycobacterium ulcerans. | mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of buruli ulcer (bu), a destructive skin disease found predominantly in sub-saharan africa and south-eastern australia. the precise mode(s) of transmission and environmental reservoir(s) remain unknown, but several studies have explored the role of aquatic invertebrate species. the purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental distribution of m. ulcerans in south-eastern australia. | 2010 | 20706592 |
| epigenetic modifications on x chromosomes in marsupial and monotreme mammals and implications for evolution of dosage compensation. | x chromosome dosage compensation in female eutherian mammals is regulated by the noncoding xist rna and is associated with the differential acquisition of active and repressive histone modifications, resulting in repression of most genes on one of the two x chromosome homologs. marsupial mammals exhibit dosage compensation; however, they lack xist, and the mechanisms conferring epigenetic control of x chromosome dosage compensation remain elusive. oviparous mammals, the monotremes, have multiple ... | 2010 | 20861449 |
| energy substrate utilization in the common brushtailed possum (trichosurus vulpecula) using intravenous tolerance tests. | the aim of this study was to investigate the energy substrate requirements of the common brushtailed possum (trichosurus vulpecula) using intravenous tolerance tests for glucose, alanine, and propionate in five adult male and female animals under standardized conditions. significant differences (p<0.01) were observed for fasting blood glucose values between males (6.3±0.16 mmol l(-1)) and females (4.8±0.13 mmol l(-1)), and males had a significantly (p<0.001) increased response to glucose. all an ... | 2011 | 20977945 |
| maternal influence on philopatry and space use by juvenile brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). | 1. the causes of juvenile sex-biased philopatry and space use in mammals remain poorly understood, and results of previous research have been conflicting. experimental interventions and manipulations on wild populations are rare, but can play an important role in establishing the factors governing offspring space use. 2. we experimentally removed mothers of independent juvenile brushtail possums from the maternal home range and examined changes in offspring space use with global positioning sy ... | 2011 | 21155769 |
| prolactin acts on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to modulate follicle-stimulating hormone gene expression in the female brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | brushtail possums exhibit a distinct preovulatory pattern of prolactin (prl) secretion suggesting that prl is involved in normal reproductive function. in some mammals, prl is essential for corpus luteum (cl) function and/or modulation of steroidal effects on hypothalamic-pituitary activity. the aim of this study was to test the effects of biologically active recombinant possum prl (recposprl) on both pituitary gland and cl function in possums. to confirm biological activity, administration of r ... | 2011 | 21187096 |
| detection, isolation, and characterization of helicobacter species from the gastrointestinal tract of the brushtail possum. | the presence of helicobacter species in australian marsupials was examined systematically using microscopy, culture, and pcr in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract (git) and in the liver of brushtail possums (btps) (trichosurus vulpecula), a common australian marsupial that feeds on eucalyptus leaves. the spatial distribution of helicobacter species in the git sections also was examined microscopically in silver-stained sections and by fluorescent in situ hybridization (fish) using a ... | 2011 | 21216901 |
| titrating the cost of plant toxins against predators: determining the tipping point for foraging herbivores. | 1. foraging herbivores must deal with plant characteristics that inhibit feeding and they must avoid being eaten. principally, toxins limit food intake, while predation risk alters how long animals are prepared to harvest resources. each of these factors strongly affects how herbivores use food patches, and both constraints can pose immediate proximate costs and long-term consequences to fitness. 2. using a generalist mammalian herbivore, the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula), our ... | 2011 | 21366564 |
| development of a new humane toxin for predator control in new zealand. | the endemic fauna of new zealand evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and their introduction has been responsible for many extinctions and declines. introduced species including possums (trichosurus vulpecula kerr), ship rats (rattus rattus l.) and stoats (mustela erminea l.) are targeted to protect native birds. control methodologies currently rely largely on labor-intensive trapping or the use of increasingly unpopular poisons, or poisons that are linked with low welfare standards. he ... | 2010 | 21392319 |
| vertebrate pesticide risk assessment by indigenous communities in new zealand. | in new zealand, the vertebrate pesticide sodium fluoroacetate (compound 1080) is aerially applied in baits for control of the brush-tailed possum trichosurus vulpecula (kerr, 1792). maori, the indigenous people of new zealand, have raised concerns about 1080 impacts on culturally-important species. here, we outline two steps taken to help maori assess 1080 risk. first, field research was undertaken to determine if naturally-occurring plants utilized by a maori community for food and medicine wou ... | 2010 | 21392320 |
| recent advances in the management of bovine tuberculosis in free-ranging wildlife. | established foci of mycobacterium bovis (the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis [btb]) in free-ranging wildlife are currently under various stages of management on three continents (africa, europe and north america) and in new zealand. other, as yet undiagnosed, foci seem likely to exist elsewhere. the complex roles that these wildlife foci play in the ecology of btb remain among the greatest challenges facing btb control globally. conceptually, management of btb in free-ranging wildlife can ... | 2011 | 21420260 |
| contact patterns as a risk factor for bovine tuberculosis infection in a free-living adult brushtail possum trichosurus vulpecula population. | the aim of this study was to identify risk factors for bovine tuberculosis (tb) in a free-roaming, capture-mark-recapture monitored possum trichosurus vulpecula population in a 22-ha study site at castlepoint, new zealand from 1 april 1989 to 31 march 1994. a matched case-control design was used to evaluate the influence of sex, habitat and contact opportunities on tb risk. cases comprised possums identified as tb-positive throughout the study period. controls were selected from the group of pos ... | 2011 | 21550126 |
| the distribution and expression of cftr restricts electrogenic anion secretion to the ileum of the brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | in eutherian mammals, fluid secretion is essential for intestinal function. this is driven by electrogenic cl(-) secretion, which involves a nak2cl cotransporter (nkcc1) in the enterocyte basolateral membrane and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) in the apical membrane. however, in the possum ileum, nkcc1 expression is low and secretagogues stimulate electrogenic hco(3)(-) secretion driven by a basolateral nahco(3) cotransporter (pnbce1). here we investigated whether ... | 2011 | 21562182 |
| noninvasive recovery and detection of possum trichosurus vulpecula dna from bitten bait interference devices (waxtags). | the brushtail possum is a major agricultural and ecological pest in new zealand. a novel noninvasive dna sampling tool for detecting its presence (waxtags, or wt) was tested. dna was recovered from saliva left on wt, and two lengths (407 bp and 648 bp) of the cytochrome c oxidase i (coi) barcoding region were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). pcr products were considered (+) when a dna band was clearly visible by electrophoresis. different factors that might affect pcr (+) were inves ... | 2009 | 21564680 |
| vaccinia virus as a vaccine delivery system for marsupial wildlife. | vaccines based on recombinant poxviruses have proved successful in controlling diseases such as rabies and plague in wild eutherian mammals. they have also been trialled experimentally as delivery agents for fertility-control vaccines in rodents and foxes. in some countries, marsupial mammals represent a wildlife disease reservoir or a threat to conservation values but, as yet there has been no bespoke study of efficacy or immunogenicity of a poxvirus-based vaccine delivery system in a marsupial ... | 2011 | 21570435 |
| seasonal changes in morphology and steroid receptor expression in the prostate of the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula): an animal model for the study of prostate growth? | the prostate of the brushtail possum undergoes growth and regression during the year. the present study investigated the morphological changes and expression of androgen and oestrogen receptors during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. prostate tissue was collected from adult possums at 2-monthly intervals. the periurethral and outer glandular areas were separated and the volume of stromal, epithelial and luminal tissues measured in each area. immunohistochemistry was used to investigate cel ... | 2011 | 21635819 |
| molecular identification of interleukin-2 in the lymphoid tissues of the common brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) is an australian marsupial. here we describe the identification of possum interleukin-2 in mitogen-stimulated lymph node cells. we used a strategy of rapid amplification of cdna ends using probes designed from recently-sequenced marsupial genomes to identify the il2 gene and then confirmed that il-2 expression in possum immune tissue occurs in a similar manner to that in their eutherian counterparts. the predictive possum il-2 peptide showed 28 ... | 2011 | 21683733 |
| behavior-based assessment of the auditory abilities of brushtail possums. | brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) were trained to press a right lever when a tone was presented (a tone-on trial) and a left lever when a tone was not presented (a tone-off trial) to gain access to food. during training the tone was set at 80 db(a), with a frequency of 0.88 kh for 3 possums and of 4 kh for the other 2. once accuracy was over 90% correct across five consecutive sessions, a test session was conducted where the intensity of the tone was reduced by 8 db(a) over blocks of 20 ... | 2011 | 21765549 |
| identification of novel trypanosome genotypes in native australian marsupials. | in the present study, the occurrence and molecular phylogeny of trypanosome parasites were studied in both wild and captive marsupials from western australia and queensland. blood samples were screened by pcr at the 18s rdna locus, and the glycosomal glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase gene. overall, 5.3% of the blood samples were positive at the 18s rdna locus. all positives belonged to wild-captured western australian individuals, where trypanosome-specific dna was detected in 9.8% of the s ... | 2011 | 21802854 |
| Reduced spillover transmission of Mycobacterium bovis to feral pigs (Sus scofa) following population control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). | SUMMARYIn New Zealand, bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is present in domestic cattle and deer herds primarily as the result of on-going disease transmission from the primary wildlife host, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). However, bTB is also present in other introduced free-ranging mammalian species. Between 1996 and 2007, we conducted a series of studies to determine whether poison control of possum populations would have any effect on the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in ... | 2011 | 21849098 |
| Longevity of Mycobacterium bovis in brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) carcasses, and contact rates between possums and carcasses. | To determine, for a variety of environmental conditions, how long Mycobacterium bovis might remain viable inside the carcass of a brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) that died of bovine tuberculosis (Tb), and to measure the rate of contact between free-ranging possums and possum carcasses. | 2011 | 21851297 |
| serological evidence of coxiella burnetii exposure in native marsupials and introduced animals in queensland, australia. | summarythe state of queensland has the highest incidence of q fever in australia. in recent years, there has been an increase in human cases where no contacts with the typical reservoir animals or occupations were reported. the aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of coxiella burnetii in australian native animals and introduced animals in northern and southeastern queensland. australian native marsupials sampled included the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) and common no ... | 2011 | 21892986 |
| carcass composition and meat quality of brush-tail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). | one-hundred-and-thirty-nine possums, balanced as far as possible for sex (68 male, 71 female) and age (1 year, 42; 2-4 years, 61; 5+ years, 36), were slaughtered and the dissected carcass composition, muscle, and cooked meat composition measured. possums were slaughtered at time in captivity tic 0 (n = 58), tic 14 days (n = 20) and tic 28 days (n = 61). compared with the 5+ years (mature) age group the 1 year olds (juveniles) were 67% and the 2-4 year olds (immature) 96% of the live weight of th ... | 1992 | 22059633 |
| editorial note. | abstract in the article "experimental infection of the possum (trichosurus vulpecula) with leptospira interrogans serovar balcanica. i. a comparison of laboratory techniques for the detection of leptospiraemia and leptospiruria" by s. c. hathaway (n.z.vet.j.29: 121-5) tables ii and iii did not relate to the text. all reprints of this article will contain the correct tables. | 1981 | 22133070 |
| identification of a novel nidovirus associated with a neurological disease of the australian brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | a novel, fatal neurological disease of the australian brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) was first identified in 1995 in a research facility and subsequently in free-living possums in new zealand and termed wobbly possum disease (wpd). the results of previous transmission studies suggested that the aetiological agent of wpd is most likely a virus. however, the identity of the presumed viral agent had not been elucidated. in the current report, we describe identification of a novel virus fr ... | 2012 | 22153843 |
| cftr is restricted to a small population of high expresser cells that provide a forskolin-sensitive transepithelial cl- conductance in the proximal colon of the possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) is central to anion secretion in both the possum and eutherian small intestine. here, we investigated its role in the possum proximal colon, which has novel transport properties compared with the eutherian proximal colon. despite considerable cftr expression, high doses of the cftr activator forskolin (ec(50)≈10 μmol l(-1)) were required for a modest, cftr-dependent increase in short-circuit current (i(sc)) in the proximal colon. pre ... | 2012 | 22399668 |
| development of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system in platypus (ornithorhynchus anatinus) and short-beaked echidna (tachyglossus aculeatus). | the modern monotremes (platypus and echidnas) are characterized by development of their young in a leathery egg that is laid into a nest or abdominal pouch. at hatching, the young are externally immature, with forelimbs capable of digitopalmar prehension, but hindlimbs little advanced beyond limb buds. the embryological collections at the museum für naturkunde in berlin were used to examine the development of the spinal cord and early peripheral nervous system in developing monotremes and to cor ... | 2012 | 22401666 |
| bait aggregation to reduce cost and toxin use in aerial 1080 baiting of small mammal pests in new zealand. | the metabolic toxin sodium fluoroacetate ('compound 1080') is widely used for controlling introduced mammalian pests in new zealand. for large-scale operations, 1080 is distributed aerially in bait to kill brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula kerr) and ship rats (rattus rattus l.). while usually successful in reducing pest populations by > 80%, widespread distribution of toxic bait is relatively expensive and raises concerns from some members of the public. here, trials with spatial aggregat ... | 2012 | 22615267 |
| assessing acute effects of trapping, handling, and tagging on the behavior of wildlife using gps telemetry: a case study of the common brushtail possum. | trapping, handling, and deployment of tracking devices (tagging) are essential aspects of many research and conservation studies of wildlife. however, often these activities place nonhuman animals under considerable physical or psychological distress, which disrupts normal patterns of behavior and may ultimately result in deleterious effects on animal welfare and the validity of research results. thus, knowledge of how trapping, handling, and tagging alter the behavior of research animals is ess ... | 2012 | 22742197 |
| percutaneous interdigital injection of mycobacterium bovis as a model for tuberculous lesion development in wild brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula). | brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) are the major wildlife reservoir of mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (btb), in new zealand. primary diagnosis of btb in wild possums is by palpation to detect peripheral lymphadenomegaly followed by necropsy examination, which frequently identifies gross tuberculous lesions in the peripheral lymph nodes and lungs. experimental infection studies were conducted with wild possums in an attempt to emulate field btb, focussing o ... | 2013 | 22749650 |
| scent chemicals of the brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula. | the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) is the most widespread browsing marsupial in australia, where it occupies woodland, agricultural, and urban environments. following its introduction into new zealand in the 19th century it has become a major feral pest, threatening native forests. the adaptability of the possum is thought to be due in part to its social organization, in which chemical communication is important. possums have cloacal glands and exhibit related marking behavior. ... | 2012 | 22976591 |
| mortality rate and gross pathology due to tuberculosis in wild brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) following low dose subcutaneous injection of mycobacterium bovis. | gross pathology due to tuberculosis can be established experimentally in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) within 7 weeks of injection of virulent mycobacterium bovis into subcutaneous connective tissues of the peripheral limbs. this pathology involves lymphadenomegaly and development of gross lesions in peripheral lymph nodes, with subsequent gross lesions in the lungs and reticuloendothelial organs. using this artificial infection model, we here assessed the mortality rate for possums ... | 2013 | 23063260 |
| influences of plant toxins and their spatial distribution on foraging by the common brushtail possum, a generalist mammalian herbivore. | generalist herbivores forage on a variety of plant species, allowing them to gain nutrients while limiting ingestion of harmful toxins. as the capacity to mix diets appears important for maximizing intake, the spatial scale in heterogeneity of food resources should influence the foraging behavior of herbivores. our aim was to identify how the feeding strategy of a generalist mammalian herbivore, the common brushtail possum, responds to foods within a spatially defined environment. we evaluated f ... | 2012 | 23179099 |
| thresholds in plant-herbivore interactions: predicting plant mortality due to herbivore browse damage. | patterns of herbivore browse at small scales, such as the rate of leaf consumption or plant preferences, drive the impact of herbivores on whole-plant processes, such as growth or survival, and subsequent changes in plant population structure. however, herbivore impacts are often non-linear, highly variable and context-dependent. understanding the effect of herbivores on plant populations therefore requires a detailed understanding of the relationships that drive small-scale processes, and how t ... | 2013 | 23188054 |
| importance and mitigation of the risk of spillback transmission of mycobacterium bovis infection for eradication of bovine tuberculosis from wildlife in new zealand. | introduced brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) are wildlife maintenance hosts for mycobacterium bovis in new zealand, often living sympatrically with other potential hosts, including wild red deer (cervus elaphus scoticus). population control of possums has been predicted to eradicate tuberculosis (tb) from new zealand wildlife ; however, there is concern that long-lived m. bovis-infected deer could represent a ‘ spillback’ risk for tb re-establishment (particularly when possum populations ... | 2013 | 23211646 |
| tawny frogmouths and brushtail possums as sentinels for angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm. | the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of angiostrongylosis in tawny frogmouths (podargus strigoides) and brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) with signs of neurological disease, and to describe the clinicopathological features of angiostrongylosis in both species. tawny frogmouths and brushtail possums with signs of neurological disease were sampled from the sydney metropolitan area between october 1998 and june 2010. samples from 100 tawny frogmouths and 31 brushtail ... | 2013 | 23218219 |
| sustained protection against tuberculosis conferred to a wildlife host by single dose oral vaccination. | vaccination of wildlife against bovine tuberculosis (tb) is being considered by several countries to reduce the transmission of mycobacterium bovis infection to livestock. in new zealand, where introduced brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) are the major wildlife hosts, we have previously shown that repeat applications of a lipid-encapsulated oral bacille calmette-guerin (bcg) vaccine reduce the incidence of naturally acquired tb in wild possums. here we extend this conceptual demonstratio ... | 2013 | 23246543 |
| a novel approach to assess the probability of disease eradication from a wild-animal reservoir host. | surveying and declaring disease freedom in wildlife is difficult because information on population size and spatial distribution is often inadequate. we describe and demonstrate a novel spatial model of wildlife disease-surveillance data for predicting the probability of freedom of bovine tuberculosis (caused by mycobacterium bovis) in new zealand, in which the introduced brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) is the primary wildlife reservoir. using parameters governing home-range size, proba ... | 2013 | 23339965 |
| an exploration of the microrheological environment around the distal ileal villi and proximal colonic mucosa of the possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | multiple particle-tracking techniques were used to quantify the thermally driven motion of ensembles of naked polystyrene (0.5 µm diameter) microbeads in order to determine the microrheological characteristics around the gut mucosa. the microbeads were introduced into living ex vivo preparations of the wall of the terminal ileum and proximal colon of the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). the fluid environment surrounding both the ileal villi and colonic mucosa was heterogeneous; probably ... | 2013 | 23389898 |
| comparison of ranging behaviour in a multi-species complex of free-ranging hosts of bovine tuberculosis in relation to their use as disease sentinels. | sentinel species are increasingly used by disease managers to detect and monitor the prevalence of zoonotic diseases in wildlife populations. characterizing home-range movements of sentinel hosts is thus important for developing improved disease surveillance methods, especially in systems where multiple host species co-exist. we studied ranging activity of major hosts of bovine tuberculosis (tb) in an upland habitat of new zealand: we compared home-range coverage by ferrets (mustela furo), wild ... | 2013 | 23433406 |
| a faecal index of diet quality that predicts reproductive success in a marsupial folivore. | estimating the nutritional value of a herbivore's diet is difficult because it requires knowing what the animal eats, the relative quality of each component and how these components interact in relation to animal physiology. current methods are cumbersome and rely on many assumptions that are hard to evaluate. we describe a new method for estimating relative diet quality directly from faeces that avoids the problems inherent in other methods. we combine this method with near infrared reflectance ... | 2013 | 23443356 |
| predicting summer site occupancy for an invasive species, the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula), in an urban environment. | invasive species are often favoured in fragmented, highly-modified, human-dominated landscapes such as urban areas. because successful invasive urban adapters can occupy habitat that is quite different from that in their original range, effective management programmes for invasive species in urban areas require an understanding of distribution, habitat and resource requirements at a local scale that is tailored to the fine-scale heterogeneity typical of urban landscapes. the common brushtail pos ... | 2013 | 23469277 |
| seasonal changes in rfamide-related peptide-3 neurons in the hypothalamus of a seasonally breeding marsupial species, the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | rfamide-related peptide-3 (rfrp-3) neurons have been shown to inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gnrh) neuronal activity and hence reproduction in birds and eutherian mammals. they have also been proposed to have a direct hypophysiotropic effect on pituitary gonadotropin release. we used a new rfrp-3 antibody to characterize the cell body distribution and fiber projections of rfrp-3 neurons in the adult female brushtail possum brain. rfrp-3-immunoreactive cell bodies were found scattered wi ... | 2013 | 23504980 |
| molecular identification and expression of lyn tyrosine kinase isoforms in marsupials. | lyn is a tyrosine kinase molecule required for modulation of signalling cascades in cell populations including b lymphocytes of the mammalian immune system. we have characterised the coding domain of the marsupial lyn gene of two macropod marsupials; the tammar wallaby (macropus eugenii) and the bridled nailtail wallaby (onychogalea fraenata) and show the co-expression of two lyn isoforms in cells and tissues of these and three other marsupials (brush-tail possum, trichosurus vulpecula; american ... | 2013 | 23522727 |
| surveillance and movements of virginia opossum (didelphis virginiana) in the bovine tuberculosis region of michigan. | wildlife reservoir hosts of bovine tuberculosis (btb) include eurasian badgers (meles meles) and brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) in the uk and new zealand, respectively. similar species warrant further investigation in the northern lower peninsula of michigan, usa due to the continued presence of btb on cattle farms. most research in michigan, usa has focused on interactions between white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) and cattle (bos taurus) for the transmission of the infectious ... | 2013 | 23531427 |
| development of a real-time reverse transcription pcr assay for detection of a novel nidovirus associated with a neurological disease of the australian brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | to develop a quantitative reverse transcription pcr (rt-qpcr) assay for detection of the putative wobbly possum disease (wpd) virus and to apply this test to investigate the viral load in archival tissues from past wpd transmission studies. | 2013 | 23600460 |
| whole-body protein turnover reveals the cost of detoxification of secondary metabolites in a vertebrate browser. | the detoxification limitation hypothesis predicts that the metabolism and biotransformation of plant secondary metabolites (psms) elicit a cost to herbivores. there have been many attempts to estimate these costs to mammalian herbivores in terms of energy, but this ignores what may be a more important cost-increases in protein turnover and concomitant losses of amino acids. we measured the effect of varying dietary protein concentrations on the ingestion of two psms (1,8 cineole-a monoterpene, a ... | 2013 | 23640139 |
| effects of temporal resolution on an inferential model of animal movement. | recently, there has been much interest in describing the behaviour of animals by fitting various movement models to tracking data. despite this interest, little is known about how the temporal 'grain' of movement trajectories affects the outputs of such models, and how behaviours classified at one timescale may differ from those classified at other scales. here, we present a study in which random-walk state-space models were fit both to nightly geospatial lifelines of common brushtail possums (t ... | 2013 | 23671558 |
| seed dispersal of the australian cycad macrozamia miquelii (zamiaceae): are cycads megafauna-dispersed "grove forming" plants? | 2013 | 23711908 | |
| roles of the volatile terpene, 1,8-cineole, in plant-herbivore interactions: a foraging odor cue as well as a toxin? | olfaction is an important sense for many animals, yet its role in foraging by herbivores is poorly known. many plants contain volatile compounds, such as terpenes, that are not only volatile but can be toxic if ingested. volatile terpenes can be used by herbivores to assess leaf quality, but there is little evidence for whether they are also used as a searching cue. we applied the giving-up density (gud) framework to examine fine-scale foraging by two free-ranging mammalian herbivores, the brush ... | 2014 | 24122179 |
| mycobacterium bovis: characteristics of wildlife reservoir hosts. | mycobacterium bovis is the cause of tuberculosis in animals and sometimes humans. many developed nations have long-standing programmes to eradicate tuberculosis in livestock, principally cattle. as disease prevalence in cattle decreases these efforts are sometimes impeded by passage of m. bovis from wildlife to cattle. in epidemiological terms, disease can persist in some wildlife species, creating disease reservoirs, if the basic reproduction rate (r0) and critical community size (ccs) threshol ... | 2013 | 24171844 |
| a strategic approach to eradication of bovine tb from wildlife in new zealand. | a review and amendment of new zealand's national pest management strategy for bovine tuberculosis (tb) has led to adoption of new strategy objectives for localized eradication of disease from the principal wildlife maintenance host and infecting vector for farmed cattle and deer, the brushtail possum trichosurus vulpecula. historic programmes have been based on management of disease within herds and control of wildlife directed towards reducing infected herd prevalence. from july 2011, the tb st ... | 2013 | 24171853 |
| digestion and absorption ofeucalyptus essential oils in greater glider (petauroide svolans) and brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | measurements were made of the quantity and composition of the steam-volatile essential oils in gastrointestinal tract contents of greater gliders fedeucalyptus radiata foliage and brushtail possums fede. melliodora foliage. in both species, there was less oil in the stomach contents than in an equivalent mass of foliage. only minor losses of leaf oils occurred during mastication by greater gliders, and absorption from the stomach appeared to be the major reason for the difference in the oil cont ... | 1987 | 24301544 |
| in vitro hepatic microsomal metabolism of meloxicam in koalas (phascolarctos cinereus), brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula), ringtail possums (pseudocheirus peregrinus), rats (rattus norvegicus) and dogs (canis lupus familiaris). | quantitative and qualitative aspects of in vitro metabolism of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam, mediated via hepatic microsomes of specialized foliage (eucalyptus) eating marsupials (koalas and ringtail possums), a generalized foliage eating marsupial (brushtail possum), rats, and dogs, are described. using a substrate depletion method, intrinsic hepatic clearance (in vitro clint) was determined. significantly, rates of oxidative transformation of meloxicam, likely mediated vi ... | 2014 | 24345479 |
| clinical, microbiological and pathological findings of mycobacterium ulcerans infection in three australian possum species. | buruli ulcer (bu) is a skin disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, with endemicity predominantly in sub-saharan africa and south-eastern australia. the mode of transmission and the environmental reservoir(s) of the bacterium and remain elusive. real-time pcr investigations have detected m. ulcerans dna in a variety of australian environmental samples, including the faeces of native possums with and without clinical evidence of infection. this report seeks to expand on previously published fin ... | 2014 | 24498451 |
| hematologic and serum biochemical reference ranges and an assessment of exposure to infectious diseases prior to translocation of the threatened western ringtail possum (pseudocheirus occidentalis). | health screening of animals before translocation is important to minimize the risk of pathogen transmission between sites and species. reintroduction has been incorporated into management of the endangered western ringtail possum (pseudocheirus occidentalis) to mitigate for habitat loss within the species' core range in southwestern australia. between november 2005 and march 2008 we screened 47 wild and 24 captive p. occidentalis and 68 sympatric common brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula h ... | 2013 | 24502710 |
| quantifying the direct transfer costs of common brushtail possum dispersal using least-cost modelling: a combined cost-surface and accumulated-cost dispersal kernel approach. | dispersal costs need to be quantified from empirical data and incorporated into dispersal models to improve our understanding of the dispersal process. we are interested in quantifying how landscape features affect the immediately incurred direct costs associated with the transfer of an organism from one location to another. we propose that least-cost modelling is one method that can be used to quantify direct transfer costs. by representing the landscape as a cost-surface, which describes the c ... | 2014 | 24505467 |
| linking bovine tuberculosis on cattle farms to white-tailed deer and environmental variables using bayesian hierarchical analysis. | bovine tuberculosis is a bacterial disease caused by mycobacterium bovis in livestock and wildlife with hosts that include eurasian badgers (meles meles), brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula), and white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus). risk-assessment efforts in michigan have been initiated on farms to minimize interactions of cattle with wildlife hosts but research on m. bovis on cattle farms has not investigated the spatial context of disease epidemiology. to incorporate spatially exp ... | 2014 | 24595231 |
| photoreceptor topography and spectral sensitivity in the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | marsupials are believed to be the only non-primate mammals with both trichromatic and dichromatic color vision. the diversity of color vision systems present in marsupials remains mostly unexplored. marsupials occupy a diverse range of habitats, which may have led to considerable variation in the presence, density, distribution, and spectral sensitivity of retinal photoreceptors. in this study we analyzed the distribution of photoreceptors in the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). ... | 2014 | 24737644 |
| assessing the effectiveness of tuberculosis management in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula), through indirect surveillance of mycobacterium bovis infection using released sentinel pigs. | in new zealand, wild pigs acquire mycobacterium bovis infection by scavenging tuberculous carrion, primarily carcasses of the main disease maintenance host, the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). we investigated the utility of captive-reared, purpose-released pigs as sentinels for tuberculosis (tb) following lethal possum control and subsequent population recovery. within 2-3 years of possum control by intensive poisoning, tb prevalence and the incidence rate of m. bovis infection in rele ... | 2014 | 24804148 |
| urbanization impacts on mammals across urban-forest edges and a predictive model of edge effects. | with accelerating rates of urbanization worldwide, a better understanding of ecological processes at the wildland-urban interface is critical to conserve biodiversity. we explored the effects of high and low-density housing developments on forest-dwelling mammals. based on habitat characteristics, we expected a gradual decline in species abundance across forest-urban edges and an increased decline rate in higher contrast edges. we surveyed arboreal mammals in sites of high and low housing densit ... | 2014 | 24810286 |
| chemical characterization of milk oligosaccharides of the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | structural characterizations of marsupial milk oligosaccharides have been performed in only three species: the tammar wallaby, the red kangaroo and the koala. to clarify the homology and heterogeneity of milk oligosaccharides among marsupials, 21 oligosaccharides of the milk carbohydrate fraction of the common brushtail possum were characterized in this study. neutral and acidic oligosaccharides were separated from the carbohydrate fraction of mid-lactation milk and characterized by (1)h-nuclear ... | 2014 | 24906475 |
| creating new evolutionary pathways through bioinvasion: the population genetics of brushtail possums in new zealand. | rapid increases in global trade and human movement have created novel mixtures of organisms bringing with them the potential to rapidly accelerate the evolution of new forms. the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula), introduced into new zealand from australia in the 19th century, is one such species having been sourced from multiple populations in its native range. here, we combine microsatellite dna- and gis-based spatial data to show that t. vulpecula originating from at least two d ... | 2014 | 24943509 |
| determination of villous rigidity in the distal ileum of the possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | we investigated the passive mechanical properties of villi in ex vivo preparations of sections of the wall of the distal ileum from the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) by using a flow cell to impose physiological and supra-physiological levels of shear stress on the tips of villi. we directly determined the stress applied from the magnitude of the local velocities in the stress inducing flow and additionally mapped the patterns of flow around isolated villi by tracking the trajectories ... | 2014 | 24956476 |
| assessing stability of body weight in the brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | when conducting controlled laboratory studies with non-traditional laboratory animals it is important that methods for determining body weight stability are reliable. this helps ensure the health and welfare of animals when they are maintained during periods of free feeding or food restriction. this study compared different methods for determining body weight stability in six common brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) maintained on a free-feeding diet under laboratory conditions. a criteri ... | 2015 | 24958547 |
| four species of arboreal folivore show differential tolerance to a secondary metabolite. | the marsupials that eat eucalyptus in south-eastern australia provide an example of animals with similar niche requirements occurring sympatrically. they certainly differ in size, ranging from about 1 kg in the greater glider (petauroides volans) and the closely related common ringtail possum (pseudocheirus peregrinus), to 4 kg (common brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula) and up to 15 kg in the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). all species, however, may eat considerable amounts of eucalypt fol ... | 2014 | 24974269 |
| epidemiology, diagnostics, and management of tuberculosis in domestic cattle and deer in new zealand in the face of a wildlife reservoir. | the control of tuberculosis (tb) in cattle and farmed deer in new zealand has been greatly influenced by the existence of a wildlife reservoir of mycobacterium bovis infection, principally the australian brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). the reduction in possum numbers in areas with endemic m. bovis infection through vigorous vector control operations has been a major contributor to the marked reduction in the number of infected cattle and farmed deer herds in the past two decades. manag ... | 2015 | 24992203 |
| erratum to: chemical characterization of milk oligosaccharides of the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula). | 2014 | 25015760 | |
| variations in epithelial na(+) transport and epithelial sodium channel localisation in the vaginal cul-de-sac of the brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula, during the oestrous cycle. | the fluid in the vaginal cul-de-sac of the brushtail possum, trichosurus vulpecula, is copious at ovulation when it may be involved in sperm transport or maturation, but is rapidly reabsorbed following ovulation. we have used the ussing short-circuit current (isc) technique and measurements of transcript and protein expression of the epithelial na(+) channel (enac) to determine if variations in electrogenic na(+) transport are associated with this fluid absorption. spontaneous isc (<20µacm(-2) d ... | 2016 | 25056576 |
| bird-repellent effects on bait efficacy for control of invasive mammal pests. | repellents to reduce crop damage from birds and mammals have been investigated extensively, but their efficacy in reducing risk to non-target birds in aerial poisoning operations for control of mammal pests is less known. we assessed the impact on bait acceptability, palatability and kill efficacy for captive wild rats (rattus rattus l.) and possums (trichosurus vulpecula kerr) of adding bird repellents (anthraquinone and d-pulegone) to baits used for their control in food choice trials. | 2015 | 25143303 |
| development of integrated surveillance systems for the management of tuberculosis in new zealand wildlife. | disease surveillance for the management of bovine tuberculosis (tb) in new zealand has focussed, to a large extent, on the development of tools specific for monitoring mycobacterium bovis infection in wildlife. diagnostic techniques have been modified progressively over 30 years of surveillance of tb in wildlife, from initial characterisation of gross tb lesions in a variety of wildlife, through development of sensitive culture techniques to identify viable mycobacteria, to molecular identificat ... | 2015 | 25263814 |